Fire place



- 2 Sheets-Sheet I'. C. L. PAGE.

FIRE PLAGE.

(15o Model.)

- (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. C. L. PAGE.

PIRE PLAGE.

No. 428,287. Patented May 20, 1890.

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CHARLES L. PACE', or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNoR To CARRIE C.

CRCNISE, oFsAME PLACE.

FIRE-PLACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N0. 428,287, dated May 20,1890.

Application filed November 14, 1889. Serial No. 330,342. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, CHARLES LPAGE, a Citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Fire-Places, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a fire-place of an improvedconstruction, which will render it, first, peculiarly effective inproducing nearly perfect combustion of coal when that is the fuelemployed; second, cleanly and comfortable in use, as compared withfire-places as hitherto constructed, by obviating all danger of theescape into the room of smoke, ashes, or gas third, capable.

of being set up in shallow chimneys, and, fourth, particularly free fromdanger in use to inflammable building material, which, especially infaultily-constructed houses, is apt to be placed in Close proximity tothe chimney, and may therefore be in danger of ignition from fire-placesas hitherto constructed.

To the above ends my invention consists in the general construction ofmyimproved fire-place; and it further consists in details ofconstruction and combinations of parts, all as hereinafter described andclaimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a view in elevation of a fireplaceembodying my improvements; Fig. 2, a broken view illustrating a verticalsection taken centrally through the fire-place and. Showing it providedwith a mantel; Fig. 3, a detail view in front elevation of theback ofthe fire-place; Fig. 4, a broken sectional view taken on the line 4c ofFig. 2 and viewed in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 5, an enlargedbroken sectional view of the upper part of the fire-place 5 Fig. 6, adetail view in elevation of one of the side plates or jambs, and Fig. 7a detail view in front elevation of the blower and upper damper.

A is the fire-place, of which B is the firepot, t the grate, C theash-pit or space below the grate, and D the space above the fire-pot.

When the chimney in which the fire-place is set up is constructed withan ash-chute E, an ash-pan F, like that shown, is provided. It consists,preferably, of a basin fiaring toward the top, where it is provided witha iiange S, by means of which it is supported in the brick-work, asshown. Projecting downward from opposite ends toward the rear side ofthe ash-pan are brackets r r, and the bottom q of the'ash-pan which isseparate from the latter, is provided with lugs or pivots q', whichproject from toward the rear edge of the bottom, and restin bearings inthe brackets, as shown. The bottom or door q is provided with acounterweight q2, which extends back of the pivots and serves tomaintain the bottom q normally closed.

Gr is the back of the lire-place, and comprises two walls p p', with oneor more spaces o between them. The back may be of iron, fire-clay,soapstone, or other material which will withstand the action of heat,and is cast, preferably, in one piece, with openings 0, toward the lowerend, extending through the wall p to the spaces 0, and openings02,1eading out of the spaces at the top, the spaces with the openingsaffording flues for purposes hereinafter described. The back G restsupon the rear upper fiange of the ash-pan and extends parallel with theback of the chimney to a height above the horizontal median plane of thefire-place and a short distance from the back of the chimney to affordthe airspace n between them.

Extending across the front of the -fire-place is a plate Il, having ashoulder or lugs m formed on its rear side toward the top."

I is a draft-regulating plate or register, of ordinary construction,which rests upon the lugs or shoulder m and extends obliquely upward andbackward, (in practice about one and one-half inch back,) as shown. Thegrated front B of the fire-pot is preferably of iron, and may compriseparallel bars either horizontally or vertically disposed, or it may beof or in imitation of Woven strips, as indicated, the object being toafford openings, through which the fire may be exposed. The front Bextends from the grate to a point above the median horizontal plane ofthe fireplace and inhorizontal line with the top of the back G. A frameK extends up the sides and across the top of the tire-place, and isformed at its upper side with a sill Z for the overlying brick to restupon, a face-plate Z', and a hood L. The hood extends obliquely forwardand downward in practice, preferably about four inches, and is closed atopposite ends bybracketsP. Side plates or jambs M extend upward from thetops of the front B and back G to the sill Z. They are shaped,preferably, as shown in Fig. 6, with the extensions 7c to go between-theends of the sill and the adjacent brick-work to aid in holding` thejambs in place, and with bearings 7c and stops 752 and edges 7c3, whichalso operate as stops, Yfor purposes which will appear later on. Thegrate t is mounted on pivots t', to permit it to be upset in a commonmanner, and rests with its rear edge upon lugs i', formed upon the facepof the back G.

N is the blower, comprising a metal plate formed at one edge with a bead71., from opposite ends of which extend lugs or pivots h', which rest inthe bearings 71. of the jambs M. rllhe blower swings on its pivotsacross the top of the fire-pot B, and the tops of the front B and of thewalls p p of the back are just below the are of the circle described bythe lower edge of the blower in its swing.

Toward one or both edges of the blower is suspended a pivotal catch g,having the shoulder g and notches g2 g3, and upon the jamb M is a lug F,which projects into the path of the catch to engage the shoulder g ornotch g2 or g3, to fasten the blower, respectively, with its lower edgecoincident with the top of the front B, as shown in Fig. 5,"wall lp orwall p', as shown in Fig. 2.

P is a damper, made, preferably, in the form of a register, with itsopenings c extending to the upper edge. On the lower edge of the .damperare provided curved flat hooks d,

formed to fit around the bead h of the blower and to project throughopenings CZ in the latter adjacentto the bead. The damper P, thus hingedto the blower, extends beyond the opposite ends 0f the latter to rest,when swung to close it, against the edges 7e3 of the jambs, and whenswung to open it against the stops 7a2.

Usually, except where especial provisions have been made for theaccommodation of fire-places in houses, the chimneys are shallow andrequire deepening to receive the fireplaces hitherto applied. Owing toits shape my improved fire-place may be put into any ordinary chimneywithout necessitating deepening of the latter, and the air-spaces o andn, which intervene between the tire-pot and chimney-back, affordincreased security over the constructions hitherto employed, while theyobviate the necessity under any circumstances of lining the chimney-backwith Iirebrick. Thus,also,in theconstruction of houses where fire-placesare primarily contemplated, space may be saved by the use of my improvedfire-place over that necessary in the employment of those of the oldstyle.l The fire-pot being high and shallow, instead of the opposite, ashitherto, a greater comparative area of heating-surface, particularlywhen the fire is well underway, is exposed to the room. The desirabilityof this feature is especially face.

noticeable where, when coal is employed as the fuel, it is added to thefire, and being spread over the top cools the upper surface, and infire-places otherwise constructed, consequently, the greater part Of theheating-sur- The front B being placed in practice, as stated, about aninch and a halfv back of the front of the fire-place, prevents the raysof heat from striking the wood mantel, if one be employed, and thusObviates blistering or charring of the latter. Owing to the presence ofthe plate H', which, if desired, may be cast integral with the frame K,the iire-pot is raised above the floor-line a distance considerablygreater than has been customary in fire-places hitherto and withoutdetracting from the general appearance of the device. This constructionis particularly valuable as a precautionary measure where, owing tofaulty construction of the building, the wood iiooring or joists extend,as is frequently the case, into contact with or close to the base of thefire-place, and thus rendering danger of ignition imminent where thefire-pot stands as low as has been the practice hitherto.

In starting a fire in my improved lire-place, the fuel being placed inreadiness for lighting, the blower N and damper P (the register of thelatter being closed) are swung forward, the former being fastened by thecatch or catches g, all as shown in Fig. 5. This causes the products ofcombustionto iow directly to the chimney and prevents the escape of anyinto the room. The fuel having become thoroughly ignited and the volumeof escaping products of combustion suiiciently reduced, the adamper andblower are swung back to t-he positions shown in Fig. 2, the latterbeing held by the catch or catches against stops c, extending upwardfrom the back of the wall p. When the damper and blower are thusarranged, the lire-plaeeis open and the lire exposed. The lines 0,besides affording air-spaces to aid in keeping down the temperature ofthe chimney-back, cause a constant supply of air to ow from the airspaceC over the top of the burning fuel to aid combustion. The effectivenessof the air thus supplied is materially enhanced by the heating to whichit is subjected in its passage through the space C and flues.

As ashes from the grate fall to the ash-pan F they upset the bottom q ofthe latter and drop into the ash-fine E, and as the' bottom closesimmediately when relieved ofthe weight of the ashes the rise of any dustwhich is freed from the latter in its descentis checked. Dust set freein the space C is carried by the air-currents through the i'lues o overthe name to the chimney, and thus prevented from reaching the room. Inshaking down the ashes, especially when the fire is low or there is nore, the blower may be swung down coincident with the top of the wall p,which will cause the dust risingin the space Cto ascend through theflues o to the chimney direct.

The hood L, where a wood mantel is emn IOO IIO

IZO

ployed, shields the mantel-shelf from the rays of heat and aids inpreventing the escape of the products of combustion to the room.

To reduce the draft-as, for instance, to' keep the lire over night-thedamper P may be closed and its register opened a desired distance topermit the products of combustion to escape, and the blower left in theposition shown in Fig. 2; or, to still further reduce the draft, theblower may be secured in the position coincident with the wall p. As theopenings e of the register in the damper extend to the top when theregister is opened and the damper closed, no gas can accumulate underthe sill Z.

Constructed as shown in the drawings the fire-place is especiallyadapted for coal or coke. Vith slight modilication, however, it may beadapted to burn wood, hay, or any other desirable fuel.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a lire-place, the combination, with the ash-pit C and fire-pot B,having a front B', of the back G, for the ash-pit and iire-pot, eX-tending to a height corresponding. approximately with the height of thefront B' and comprising walls p p', forming the intervening space o,affording a flue communicating near its base with the ash-pit andextending therefrom to the top of the walls, and directing means, as theblower N, adj ustably supported above the flue, and serving to direct atwill air-currents from the flue over the iirepot or directly to thechimney, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a {ire-place, ablower N, mounted above the irepot to swing withits lower edge across the top of the latter, and fastening means formaintaining the lower edge of the blower coincident with the front orback of the firepot, substantially as described.

3. In a fire-place, the combination, with the front B and back G, havingwalls 19 p', with one or more iiues between them, of a' blower N,mounted above the fire-pot to swing with its lower edge across the topof the latter, and fastening means for maintaining the lower .edge ofthe blower coincident with the front substantially as .p p', with one ormore flues between them, of

a blower N, pivoted above the lire-pot to swing with its lower edgeacross the top of the latl ter, and a pivotal latchg, provided withcatches g', g2, and g3, to engage in turn a lug f on the adjacent jamband secure the blower with its lower edge coincident with the front B',wall p, and wall p', respectively, substantially as described.

5. In a fireplace, the combination, with the blower N, pivoted at itsupper edge to swing with its lower edge across the iire-pot, of a damperP, hinged to the upper edge of the blower, substantially as described.

6. In a fire-place, the combination, with the blower N, pivoted at itsupper edge to swing with its lower edge across the fire-pot, of a damperP, hinged to the upper edge of the blower and provided with openings eand a register, substantially as described.

7. In a fire-place, the blower N, having a bead h along its upper edge,openings d' through it adjacent to the bead, and pivots h', whereby itis mounted above the iire-pot to swing with its lower edge acrossthe'latter,

and a damper P above the blower, provided on its lower edge with hooksd, extending part way around the bead h and through the openings d',substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. In a fireplace, the combination, with the lire-pot, of the j ambs M,extending above the fire-pot and provided with bearings k and stops k2k3, the blower N, pivotally mounted at its upper edge in the bearings 7cto swing between the jambs, and the damper P, hinged to the upper edgeof the blower to swing against the stops k2 k3 alternately,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

CHARLES L. PAGE. In presence of J. W. DYRENFORTH, M. J. FROST.

